And Then There Was Still Some... But Not As Many As To Begin With

Upon entering the library, the maid found Dr Black face down in
a pool of blood. Her reaction? Screaming while running out of the
room. She continued to scream while she ran through the hall but
upon crossing the front door's arch, she abruptly stopped and lit
a cigarette.

A young man with sandy hair, a bare chin, dark shirt and ripped
blue jeans walked up the front steps to her. "What's happened?"
asked Kenneth.

"I found Dr Black dead in the library," she replied in a bored
tone and then inhaled from the cigarette.

He sidestepped her and continued into the manor. It was a three
storey mansion house, with a flat roof, built in the
18th Century on the small Aran Island off the west
coast of Ireland. It had fourteen bedrooms, one library, seven
living rooms, two kitchens and more bathrooms than you can count
on your fingers and toes.

Kenneth slipped into the library and found Dr Black on the floor
of the opposite side of the room. The library was a long room
with four tables, a few comfortable armchairs and a couch
opposite the door. Two of walls were taken up by books, one wall
had four long windows in it and one whole wall had beautiful
wooden, double doors.

He crouched beside Dr Black and scrutinised him. Not five minutes
later, Dr Black opened his eyes, got up and walked over to a near
open window, searching his pockets.

Kenneth looked at him in disbelief and asked, "I'm sorry, but
aren't you meant to be dead?"

Dr Black looked back at Kenneth, "I'm not going to lie there for
two hours," he replied as he retrieved a packet of cigarettes and
a lighter.

"This has to be the worst murder mystery game ever," Kenneth
exclaimed when he stood up and began to inspect the rest of the
room. "The clues are so clichéd. You were found dead by the maid
in the library and your name is Dr Black! That's the bloke who
dies in Cluedo!"

"I didn't write it," the actor perched half in, half out the
window and lit the cigarette clamped between his lips. He blew a
puff of smoke out the window.

"And you actors are awful," Kenneth continued, "the maid stopped
screaming after seven seconds, and do you all smoke?"

"No," the actor replied defensively, "only a few of us do."

"Who doesn't?" Kenneth inquired as he looked under one of the
tables.

" I don't."

Kenneth looked at him. "You're smoking right now," he pointed
out.

The actor blew another puff of smoke out the window, "It's a
herbal cigarette."

"Then why are you smoking it?"

The actor took what he thought was a dramatic pause, to Kenneth
it more looked like the actor had gotten confused by a simple
question.

The actor finally broke the pause with, "What's your name boy?"

"Kenneth Cherful, and I'm twenty-four, thanks for being so
patronising," Kenneth said the last bit in a rather sarcastic
tone.

The actor was now halfway through his cigarette. "Barbie's
boyfriend was called Ken."

"I stand by my statement," Kenneth responded as he flopped onto
the couch.

"Well Kenneth, smoking makes everything a little more
dramatic."

"That's ridiculous." Kenneth's head lolled back.

Pen, short for Penelope, entered the library, spotted Kenneth and
asked, "Who, where and with what?"

Kenneth looked forward, "Dr Black over there," he lazily gestured
to the actor who waved a hand and blew another puff out the
window, "was found over here," Kenneth was pointing at the pool
of fake blood.

"Real original," she lied to herself. "With this kind of writing,
he was probably killed with a candlestick. Anything odd about the
room?"

"No, nothing I can think of," Kenneth sighed.

Pen looked over at the actor, "Did you open that window?"

"Ehh… No," he informed them.

Pen watched Kenneth walk over to the window and stuck his head
out of it. He pulled his head back in, made for the door and Pen
followed him but the actor stayed behind.

They walked pass the actress at the front door, she had finished
her cigarette and was now on her tippy toes trying to get signal
on her sleek mobile phone.

They proceeded to the bushes below the open window. Kenneth
reached his arm into the shrubbery and pulled out a candlestick
with its tip coated in fake blood.

***

The next morning, Kenneth woke to the sound of a woman screaming.
At a murder mystery game, this is a somewhat common alarm so he
took his time getting ready. He put on his clothes from yesterday
and left his room. He crossed the thin hallway of the second
storey floor and knocked on Pen's door. She opened the door. She
was wearing a tan leather jacket, boots to match, dark blue
jeans, a red t-shirt and was wearing her short brown hair in a
ponytail. She closed the door behind her and they started walking
down the hallway.

"Who do you think died?" asked Pen.

"No idea. These murders don't seem to be thought through. More
like they're just killing people and hoping someone will come up
with good connections," Kenneth suggested.

"There are no ideas here for a book," Pen mumbled.

They rounded the corner and saw a large crowd outside one of the
bedrooms. This wasn't like the last over dramatic death. Kenneth
could see Maria Hyde, a visitor who had the unfortunate luck to
have her right hand in a cast, crying while her boyfriend Craig
Smith, a tall, strong looking man, comforted her. The actress
playing the maid was outside the group looking vacant. Pen began
to push through the group and Kenneth followed. They passed Sam
Tone, who was a doctor, his son, Shaun and an actor who was
dressed like a gruff colonel who looked queasy. They reached the
doorway, where the Dr Black actor stood looking morbid.

On the bed of the room lay Alistair Darvill, a fat man who ran
the murder mystery game, with a steak knife in his throat. There
was a tray on the ground, a medium rare steak could be seen
peeking from under the edge like a scared animal.

Pen turned around and ventured through the crowd, looking for a
chair to sit on but Kenneth didn't move. He stood there as
sadness and morbidity crept into his mind. The crimson blood had
wrecked the perfectly white sheets but Kenneth looked at the
blood, not as an impossible stain but as Alistair's life, that
had just slipped out of him.

Kenneth and Pen walked into the living room, around 5 o'clock
when the sky was beginning to get dark. It was Maria's idea that
everyone should meet there and figure out a plan.

Kenneth would have remarked on the beauty of the room if they
weren't there in such odd circumstances. Everyone was littered
around, some people were leaning against the walls and some were
sitting. Kenneth and Pen sat on a couch next to Craig and Maria

The actor playing Dr Black was standing next to a tame gas fire.
He turned to look at everyone, "So, what do we do?"

"I say we leave!" squeaked Shaun Tone.

"The boats aren't back 'til tomorrow evening," said Maria as she
settled her cast on the arm rest.

"Can't we call them back early?" the actor dressed as a colonel
said.

"No reception," said the actress in the maid costume, she wasn't
look at anyone directly.

Maria looked over at Sam, "Can't you do something for Alistair?"

Sam looked at her in slight disbelief, "I'm a doctor, not a
miracle worker."

Everyone began arguing and yelling. Craig stood up and shouted,
"Oi!" Everyone was intimidating into silence either by his
menacing build or his booming voice. "I think we're forgetting
something," he continued, "What would Miss Marple do!?"

No one was sure whether he was joking or not but Pen took
advantage of the silence and stood up, "He has a point, we're
murder mystery fans. We came here to solve murders and we'll
solve this one."

"The cook," said Sam. Everybody looked at him. "Well the steak
had to come from somewhere." He got up and started towards the
door, "I'll go check the kitchens." He stopped at the door and
asked, "Could everyone please stay here, until I get back?" He
looked around the room, "Thanks," and left the room.

There was silence for a few minutes. Kenneth looked up at the
actor by the fireplace, "What's your name? Your real name, I
mean. It would be silly if we called you Dr Black."

"Davon Kingston," he said as if he'd practiced it.

"And I'm Sarah Carroll," said the actress wearing the maid
costume. "That's Carroll with two 'R's and two 'L's."

Everyone looked at the actor wearing the colonel costume
expectantly. He just looked back, a little confused. "What? Why
is everyone looking at me?"

"Your name? What is it?" Kenneth spelt out for him. It gave the
Kenneth the impression that the actor wasn't very clever but not
as much as what he said next.

"Oh, it's Paul Baxtor. That's Paul with one 'P'."

"Right," said Kenneth after an awkward silence. "Well as Pen was
saying," he got up and stood next to Pen, "we're going to stop
this killer before they strike again."

"The cook is dead," Sam informed the group from the doorway.

Everyone looked over at him.

"They could not have been timed worse," Kenneth whispered to Pen.

Maria raised herself of the couch, careful of her arm, "Well
let's have a look then."

"No," said Sam. "He was cut right down the middle, a normal
person would be scarred for life if they saw it. I've performed
colonoscopies and after that, nothing really grosses me out
anymore."

"We should try to stay in groups," suggested Kenneth.

Craig took Maria's left hand. "We're going to go to our room.
Goodnight," he said and led her out of the room. Lots of people
started to agree and left as well.

***

Kenneth caught Pen after she tripped walking into
Alistair's room. Kenneth closed the door after her.

"Thanks," Pen said as she walked up to the body and covered it
with the end of the bed sheet.

"Well it's even, I wouldn't have been able to do that," Kenneth
wandered around the room.

"Maybe the killer came into the room with the steak, closed the
door, dropped the tray and all pretences and stabbed him in the
throat?" she guessed like one of her book's protagonists. "No,
'cause the handle is facing the wrong way."

Kenneth sat on a comfortable chair next to a window. At half
nine, the window was just a dark mirror. The patter of the rain
was heavy on the panes and the distant roar of thunder could be
heard.

"The carpet there is worn out a bit," commented Kenneth said as
he stood up and walked over to the area he was pointing at.

Pen left the bedside and joined him in the clear space. "Well it
would be odd to place furniture here so I think we can rule that
out. Also it would have blocked the path between the end of the
bed and the wall." She then corrected herself, "Well end of the
bed to the window."

Kenneth turned to face the window, he pulled up at the bottom of
the old wooden frame. The window slid up and the rain spat at
him. His hand went to the exterior windowsill. "Oh," he said
surprised. He took his phone and shone the light from the screen
out to the wet concrete. The light revealed damp cigarette butts.
Kenneth put his phone away and shut the window. He looked at Pen,
"Maybe it was an accident. Think about it. They tripped on the
way in, like you," he gestured to the door. "They dropped the
steak and, unlucky for Alistair, the knife went right into his
throat. Then they started to panic and began pacing from the end
of the bed to the window and had a few cigarettes to calm
themselves."

"Seems unlikely but looks that way. We should go back to our
rooms," Pen suggested.

***

It was at that time that people either called very
late or very early, that Kenneth was woke by the sound of
screaming for the second time in the past twenty hours. This was
a different scream though, it was a man's scream of agony.

The rain was still drumming on the glass as he got out of bed. He
opened the door and crept into the corridor. There was flash of
light, followed by a roll of the thunder, allowed Kenneth to
momentarily see the Mahogany panelled passage. He wrapped his
arms around himself, his pajamas did a poor job of insulating
him.

The scream shred through the night again and Kenneth began to
run. He rounded the corner. Another flash of light and a
silhouette stretched into the hallway from an open door. Another
growl of thunder.

Kenneth looked in to find Craig, in a t-shirt and underwear
cradling Maria's body in silk pajamas. A chair was lying on its
side behind him and above it hung a noose.

"Craig, what have you done?" quizzed Kenneth. Sam appeared behind
Kenneth, wearing a dressing gown.

Craig looked up at both of them. "I got her down," he snarled. He
then looked to Sam, "You have to help her!"

"Do you people think I'm Jesus or something? I can't raise the
dead," Sam said, exasperated.

Kenneth looked at him. "Show a little tact!" he hissed at the
doctor.

"What? Oh yeah," he remembered. "Craig, I'm really sorry but we
should probably get you out of here."

"No, I can't leave her," Craig sobbed and held Maria tighter.

Pen appeared behind Kenneth, in a fluffy robe. She saw Sam
helping Craig lie Maria's body on the bed, "Oh my god!" she
gasped as her hands went to her mouth.

Sam put an arm around Craig's shoulders and led him to the door.
Another flash of lightning illuminated the tear tracks running
down his face.

"Wait," said Kenneth, he walked to the chair and moved it aside,
underneath was a letter addressed, in messy handwriting:

Craig

Kenneth handed it to Craig and Sam led the heartbroken man away.

***

Kenneth and Pen stood alone in the living room, it
was slightly brighter outside but the storm still raged on.

Sam joined them, "I calmed him as much as I could. He's in a
different room, I thought it was best for him."

"Do we tell the rest of them? They might get the same idea," said
Pen.

"We should tell them, they aren't that stupid. Anyway, the boats
come back tomorrow," chipped in Kenneth.

The door creaked. The all look to see Craig standing, holding the
letter. "She was killed," he stated plainly and it took a minute
to sick in.

Finally Sam spoke, "I know you want someone to blame Craig but
thi-"

"She's left handed," Craig interrupted. "They took a guess that
she was right handed and were wrong. Not only did the kill her,"
he began to shout, "but they also impersonated her!" He was
crying again. "When they find them, I'm going to kill them! I'll
go to jail, there's nothing left for me."

Everyone stood silently. The rain sounded heavier on the glass.
Finally Sam stepped forward, "C'mon Craig, you need some sleep.
You aren't thinking straight." He took Craig gently by the arm
and steered him into the hall.

"We should get what little sleep we can," suggested Kenneth, he
looked at Pen and she nodded.

The left the room and walked through the corridor in silence.
They parted at Pen's door and Kenneth walked down the dark hall.
His door was still open, just as he had left it.

He moved through the doorway and closed the door behind him. He
was crossing to the bed when he stopped. He returned to the door
and twisted the key in its lock. Satisfied with the metallic
clacks, he walked to the bed.

Thunder bellowed above him. Kenneth thought it carried on longer
than usual until he realised that it was running footsteps he
could hear.

He darted to the door and fumbled with the key. The footsteps
stopped outside his door, a white folded card slipped under it
and the footsteps began again. Kenneth picked up the card and
opened it. In perfect writing;

Meet me on the roof at 12, alone.

Kenneth unlocked the door and wrenched it open. He
burst out into the hall and looked left and right. Lightning
flashed and thunder rolled atmospherically.

***

When Pen left her room it was bright and nearly
afternoon. She was carrying a notepad and pen.

She entered the Living room and sat at a table in the middle of
the room. Davon was sitting was in an armchair staring into
space. Craig sat on a windowsill looking out at the powerful
winds. He was strangling a piece of paper that Pen presumed to be
the fake letter. Sam was teaching his son how to play chess on an
old board on another table.

Kenneth left his room and crept to the staircase. He went up past
the third floor, to the door which opened out onto the roof and
pushed it open.

Paul stood on the flat roof with a cigarette in his mouth.

"So it was you," was all Kenneth could say. He stepped onto the
roof and the winds pulled at his jacket. "But why?"

"Well Alistair was an accident. I was bringing the steak in for
him and I tripped."

"I was right. What a guess?" Kenneth boasted. "Sorry, more
pressing matters at hand and such," he said as he pulled himself
back to the conversation. "What about the others?"

Pen looked up to see Sarah walk into the living room and sit on
the couch. She was wearing normal clothes instead of her costume.

"Well I had to kill the cook 'cause he knew I brought the steak
to Alistair," explained Paul.

"Ok but why Maria?" Kenneth interrogated.

"Improvisation mainly. I thought it would be what my character
what do next and I'd come up with a reason later. I was going to
kill you seeing as though you were getting close to figuring it
out but I thought it would be a bit too soon to kill my nemesis."

"Your nemesis? I'm not your nemesis."

"Well you're the closest thing I have to one," settled Paul.

Sam stood up from the game and announced to the room, "I'm going
to the bathroom, nobody let him mess with my pieces," he said,
pointing at Shaun. Only Pen was listening.

"So you were killing these people for no reason?" clarified
Kenneth. "God, you're dumber than I thought!"

Paul spat out the end of the cigarette and it was carried away by
the wind. He cracked his knuckles menacingly. "Did I say dumb?"
backpedalled Kenneth, "What I meant was…" Paul began to advance.
"What I meant was… Ah screw it I had no idea where that idea was
going."

Paul's knuckles smashed into Kenneth's nose. Kenneth could feel
the bone break and the skin tear. He cried out in pain. He reeled
back, blood was pumping from the gash.

Paul's knuckles were about to strike again so Kenneth attempted
to defend himself. He's left arm went up as a block above his
head but Paul adapted to it. He grabbed the block and pulled the
arm back with him, raising a knee to meet Kenneth's soft stomach.

The wind had been knocked out of Kenneth and he fell to the
ground, gasping for air. He lay on his right side facing Paul's
direction. Paul delivered a powerful kick into Kenneth's ribs
which caused him to roll over and scream again.. Kenneth felt a
crack within him and a pain began in his chest.

Kenneth opened his eyes and realised he was by the edge. He could
see the turbulent sea and the mainland in the distance. He felt
Paul's foot placed on his lower back. Kenneth put his hands on
the roof in front of him as the foot gently pushed his body of
the roof.

Pen looked up from her writing, she was sure she saw something
dark pass by the window. She went back to her notepad after
watching the window for a few seconds. She saw it happen again
out of the corner of her eye. She looked up and waited for it to
happen again.

Kenneth foot swung by the window.

"Oh dear," said Pen as she got up and darted to the window. She
pulled it up and the wind rushed in. She stuck her head out the
window and looked up.

Kenneth was holding on to the edge of the roof while Paul stamped
on his fingers. Kenneth was screaming.

Pen pulled her head back into the room. The wind had styled her
hair ridiculously. "It's Paul! He's trying to kill Kenneth!" she
shouted to the room. She ran to the door, "Davon, c'mon, I'll
need your help to restrain Paul and someone tell Sam to go up to
the roof!"

She was already out the door when Davon was raising himself out
of the chair. Craig pushed him back into the chair and followed
Pen out the door.

Paul stopped stamping on Kenneth fingers. He needed to get off
the roof before the rest of the group got up there and cornered
him.

He opened the door and Pen rushed out and caught with a perfect
right hook. He staggered back, dazed from the pain under his jaw.

Pen had reached Kenneth already, grabbed his wrists and began
pulling up onto the roof. A hot pain was getting worse by Kenneth
ribs, causing him to scream out.

Paul regained his composure and went for the door again but Craig
charged at him and caught him with a rugby tackle that sent them
both over the edge.

Kenneth heard a sickening thud. He managed to get a knee onto the
edge and fell onto the flat concrete. He was looking up at Pen.
"When you write about this," he began, "say I hit him back."

"Didn't you?"

He paused. "Of course I did. I gave as good as I got."

Sam ran onto the roof, "Finally someone I can help! And
ironically, you're the only one who hasn't asked for it."

Sam squeezed Kenneth fingers and got a grumble in reply. He
pushed the end of the nose left and right and Kenneth let out a
whimper. The doctor applied pressure to Kenneth's ribs and
Kenneth screamed.

"Ok, you've got a few broken fingers, a broken nose, a cracked
rib and a punctured lung," Sam diagnosed. "But we'll get you on
the first boat back, rush you to Galway Hospital and you'll be
fine. Trust me, you'll be fine."